The present invention relates generally to paperboard trays, and more particularly to a paperboard carrier for beverage bottles of the returnable type.
It is well known to construct beverage carriers of the type disclosed herein from a single blank of material. Moreover, it is also common to provide such carriers with an integral handle. Furthermore, there is a well known need for constructing such carriers of sufficient strength to enable them to withstand the rigors of reuse. And finally, there is a clear need for designing such carriers so that they can be readily and easily set up at the point of use without the need for additional assembling equipment.
In this regard, the current trend toward the use of returnable beverage bottles and the desirability of packaging as many bottles as possible in the same carrier has resulted in the development of paperboard trays that are capable of carrying six, eight and even twelve bottles in a single carrier. An example of such a carrier is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,053, which discloses a basket style carrier for twelve bottles arranged in four rows, two rows on each side of a centrally located handle. Meanwhile, U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,223 discloses a reusable carrier that is constructed from multiple thicknesses of the carrier material, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,339 discloses a bottle carrier that is set up without the aid of staples or the like. However, no single prior art patent discloses each of the advantageous features together particularly with the results achieved by applicant herein.